The bid process experienced by today's construction industry is a result of nearly 150 years of adversarial bidding and while the projects and players may differ from bid to bid, the goal remains unchanged which is to obtain the lowest possible price for the best possible materials and labor. Byproducts created from the evolution of this process were eventually converted to bid practice standards which include, by example, a final deadline for bid submission at 2:00 PM. In addition to bid submission standards, architects and engineers believed that organization of the bid documents by trade discipline would result in better bids. In a public works environment, projects are open to anyone and everyone that qualifies to bid the project which creates a highly adversarial bid environment. Similarly, in a private ownership bid environment where more than one General Contracting bid is desired, also creates a highly adversarial bid environment amongst general contractors and subcontractors. Lastly, in an negotiated bid environment, an owner places confidence in a single General Contractor who will solicit bids from qualified subcontractors and suppliers (a team effort) which tends to be a non-adversarial bidding environment. The trend in the industry is to utilize the negotiated bidding environment. Today, plans and specifications are prepared in a way that enables all participants to narrow down their required scope of work and submit a qualified bid. However, although a negotiated bid environment is utilized in pre-construction phases, the construction industry traditionally relies on manual methods of bid collaboration, and dissemination of information and results. The bid manager's task is enormous and highly susceptible to inefficiencies and inaccuracies due to the predominantly manual means employed for completing the bidding task. Further, the construction industry professionals traditionally get bogged down with the multitude of tasks that not only have to be managed during the pre-construction bidding cycle, but also the multitude of tasks that have to be managed during the construction phase after the contract has been let. While the construction industry bidding process is well known, and is directed at obtaining the lowest possible price for the materials and labor, the bidding management tasks have not been centralized for being comprehensively manipulated by available computer technology. Additionally, the subsequent functions, such as building, construction and facilities, and maintenance, that need to be managed to track and monitor the construction project to completion are also limited to manual means.
By example, in the pre-construction phase discussed above, the construction industry bidding task traditionally concerns: a) an owner purchasing land and employing the services of an architect and other consultants, b) an architect employs services of specialty engineers and consultants, c) an architect prepares bid documents concerning the construction project involved, d) architects and owners seek low bids from qualified general contractors, e) general contractors seek low bids from qualified subcontractors and suppliers, f) subcontractor seek low bids from suppliers, wholesalers and building products manufacturer, g) suppliers and wholesalers seek low bids from specified building product manufactures, h) building product manufacturers submit bids, i) suppliers and wholesalers submit bids, j) subcontractor submits bid, and k) general contractors submit an all-inclusive bid. The activities involved by each bidder, by example providing specifications, plans and drawings, for winning the lowest bid are intense and involves an enormous amount of manual manipulation and dissemination of information by each bid participant.
Thus, while, there may be isolated computerized database for specifications, plans and drawings at the individual construction project participant's location, to applicant's knowledge, there are no known integrated bidding and project management systems, other than the aforementioned non-integrated manual systems for manipulation and dissemination of information.
Accordingly, a need is seen to exist for a system for managing each phase of real estate, development, building and construction industries, including architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) projects. This system should preferably include an integrated solution composed of a modular set of services where various project data and workflow is shared between the modular services. These services should be used individually or as part of the integrated solution. This system facilitates collaboration between intra- and inter-company participants wherein project data and workflow may be accessed and manipulated electronically via the Internet. In addition, this system should interface to traditional non-Internet based processes of AEC project management via printing, scanning, e-mail, FAX in/out, file import/export, or forms of import/export. From a more global perspective, a need is seen to exist for a system that facilitates managing real estate, development, building and construction industries, including architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) project phases, including design, specification, research, bidding, financing, procurement, construction, and maintenance. The services provided by the system should be integrated and include, by example, document management, document viewing, document redlining, account management, permissions management, contact management, design professional directories, bidding process management, construction administration management, and reprography services.
Further, a need is also seen to exist for an e-commerce based bidding and construction project management system and method, whereby, a variety of integrated bidding and construction project related modules are provided to the construction community for being manipulated using on-line computerized telecommunications technologies, known as the Internet, for being disseminated to the various participants in a construction project.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an integrated e-commerce based bidding and construction project management system and method applicable to both private and public works projects, whereby, a variety of bidding and construction project related databases are provided to the construction community for being manipulated using on-line computerized telecommunications technologies, known as the Internet.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an integrated electronic commerce (e-commerce) based construction industry bidding and project management system and methods applicable to both private and public works projects, including document distribution, supply chain automation and on-line auctioning.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a system for managing each phase of real estate, development, building and construction industries, including architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) projects. The system includes an integrated solution composed of a modular set of services where various project data and workflow are shared between the modular services. These services are used individually or as part of the integrated solution. The system facilitates collaboration between intra- and inter-company participants wherein project data and workflow may be accessed and manipulated electronically via the Internet. In addition, the system interfaces to traditional non-Internet based processes of AEC project management via printing, scanning, e-mail, FAX in/out, file import/export, or forms of import/export.
Still another object of present invention is to provide a global system that facilitates managing real estate, development, building and construction industries, including architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) project phases, including design, specification, research, bidding, financing, procurement, construction, and maintenance. The system services are integrated and include, by example, document management, document viewing, document redlining, account management, permissions management, contact management, design professional directories, bidding process management, construction administration management, and reprography services.